Keith’s Top 10 Most Anticipated Games of 2017

With 2017 rapidly approaching, there is a whole slew of games coming with it. Games that I can’t wait to get my hands on. Literally, I’m tired of waiting. Regardless if it’s new IPs, sequels to existing games or even reboots, it’s hard not to get excited. So with that said, I’m putting out there my list of ten titles that I’m looking forward to. Trust me, this was extremely hard to do as there are at least 30 titles I’m looking forward to and I’ve revised this list multiple times.

In the end, it came down to these 10 games, which I’m dubbing my “Top Ten Anticipated Games of 2017”. Spreading across multiple platforms, there’s no brand loyalty here, there’s no preferred platform. These are simply games that I’m looking forward to playing. I didn’t rate them because let’s be real, all these games are going to be fantastic.

So here we go in no particular order, Let’s go!

Nioh
Platform: PlayStation 4
Release Date: February 9, 2017

As the resident roguelike, Dark Souls fan here at The Outerhaven Productions, I am super hyped for Nioh. After playing through both beta/demos, I simply haven’t been fulfilled and I’ve loved playing through the samurai title that reminds me of Dark Souls. Dark and edgy, with fantastic gameplay – Nioh has all the elements that make for a great game.

Releasing early 2017, I know this game is simply going to suck away a lot of my gaming time and I’m fine with this.

Forza Motorsport 7
Platform: Xbox One, PC
Release Date: TBA

Sure, this title hasn’t been announced, but if you’ve followed the recent development cycle, you know it’s coming. For the past 4 years, Microsoft has provided a Forza Motorsport title, followed by a Forza Horizon title. The last Forza Motorsport title was the 6th of the series and it released back during September 2015. Forza Motorsport has come a long way and their recent attempt has been the most solid racing game on the Xbox One. Sure, it may be up for debate, yet there’s no denying it was a fantastic title. That said, we should definitely be looking forward to the next entry in the series.

The only question is, will this be a Xbox One exclusive or will it share development with a Xbox Scorpio version?

Horizon: Zero Dawn feels like a combo of several favorite games from the past while riding the next-generation pony. The recent showcase shows that Guerilla Games can do more than just the average first person shooter as well. Easy on of my eager “Must Play” games of 2017, I can’t wait to get my hands on this title. It’s also fantastic to see another positive and equally heroic female lead in a game.

Lastly, it looks simply stunning and I can’t wait to see how it performs on the PlayStation 4 Pro. Mainly to justify my purchase and well, I don’t want to see a poorly running game that has so much potential.

I played a bit of the first Nier and while it was really slow going, in the end, I enjoyed it. Now, it looks that Square Enix has learned from their mistakes and have amped up Nier: Automata. Bringing onboard Platinum Games to handle the action segments, while Square Enix hammers home their RPG elements, this is looking to be another stellar PS4/PC title from the company.

Also, since the demo of the game is out, go play it! The demo is available now and it’s fantastic. Go check it out!

The next entry in the Tekken series that includes Akuma from the Street Fighter series? How are you not hyped about this game, especially if you’re a fighting game fan? Sure, it’s not Soul Calibur, yet the Tekken series has been a staple in the gaming scene and has been constantly evolving. While I haven’t had a chance to check it out, a fellow staffer has and had nothing but positives things about the game.

OMG, is Sonic the Hedgehog back? I don’t mean that imposter that’s shown up in multiple games through the past decade. I’m talking about old school Sonic, from classics such as Sonic 1/2/3 and even Sonic CD? Well, with Christian “Taxman” Whitehead and Simon “Stealth” Thomley, both of which have worked on several Sonic titles and are known in the gaming industry as top acts, Sonic could very well be back. We’ve all seen the Sonic Mania trailer, as well as gameplay videos that have made their way to Youtube and other places.

A 2D side-scrolling title that stars our favorite blue hedgehog, doing what he does best? Yep, looks like Sonic may be back! I can’t WAIT! The question that needs to be asked is what took Sega so long to do this?

Ok, Mass Effect may have gotten a bum rap due to Mass Effect 3‘s ending. Seriously folks, it’s time to let it go as outside of that, every Mass Effect game has been golden. The RPG elements, the action, the story and the freedom to be the galaxy’s boy scout or ultimate jackass has made this serious one of my favorites. Now we’re getting a new chapter that doesn’t include Commander Shepard, which should have happened after 2 in my honest opinion.

Sure, we haven’t seen much to get excited, I agree. Still with Bioware at the helm and knowing their past with the game, I can’t help but keep my eyes focused on this title. In fact, I believe a playthrough of Mass Effect 1-3 is in order.

When I played my first Capcom versus title, I happened to work at a Namco owned arcade called “Space Port”. When the Xmen vs. Capcom jamma kit came in and I was ordered to set itup, I was like “WTF is this?”. Once I installed it and got some hands-on (working in an arcade back then had some perks) with it, I was in love. Fast forward to today, hell yes I’m looking forward to Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite. I may not be in the best fighting game form due to age and an abundance of games to play. Still, I have a huge place in my heart for the versus series and this one looks to recapture the charm that Marvel vs Capcom 3 lacked.

Infinitely Gems, Fighting, Larger than Life Super Heroes and More Fighting? Yes, please!

The Legend of Zelda: Breathe of the Wild
Platform: Nintendo Wii U, Switch
Release Date: TBA, Rumored to be June 13, 2017

While everyone around here thinks I’m not a fan of Nintendo, that complete opposite could be said. I love the company and grow up with tons of Nintendo branded games.I’m just not a fan of several lackluster console releases and the direction of the company. That said, I’ve been following The Legend of Zelda: Breathe of the Wild with a bit of skepticism. Part of me is worried as Nintendo is taking the franchise into unfamiliar territory, while the other part is excited to see Zelda doing something completely different. Open-world? Survival elements? This is Zelda, right?

Oh, who am I kidding. If I get one game on the Wii U or Switch, it’s going to be this.

It’s not Gran Turismo 7, but it will definitely keep my interests piqued for the ultimate racing game on the PlayStation side of things. Truth be told, I haven’t been excited for a Gran Turismo title in quite so time. While I enjoyed Gran Turismo 6, it felt rushed and didn’t live up to the previous entries. I’m still really bummed that the game isn’t out now, I was really looking forward to it. Yet, I’ve seen enough, especially with the content that came out of PlayStation Experience 2016 which has encouraged me that the wait will be worth it.

So with that, I’m eager to see what Polyphony can show us with the power of the PlayStation 4. Just please don’t make us wait until Q3/Q4 2017.

And there we have it! My top ten anticipated titles of 2017, in no specific order. Did I have a game that you’re looking forward to or perhaps is there a game that I missed that you feel should be on my radar?

Let me know in the comments below!

About The Author

Keith Mitchell is the Founder and Editor in Chief of The Outerhaven. A grizzled IT professional during the day, but a passionate lover of video games after his 9-5 grid. Loves playing the Dark Souls series and has been gaming since he was 6 years old. Available for podcasts upon request.